Omaha Insurance Solutions - March 2021

Omaha Insurance Solutions - March 2021

Club MED

March 2021 The Power of Peace of Mind

HOW MY RECENT SURGERIES REMINDED ME OF YOU

Every day, I work with clients worried about their health insurance because they need serious medical procedures and medications. These procedures often prevent them from doing activities they love. I recently got a taste of that dilemma. During a recent emergency room visit, I found out I had bleeding ulcers. We eventually got it fixed. I needed, however, to go back in and check the healing. The doctor ordered an endoscopy. As it turned out, it has been a while since I had a colonoscopy, and my family has some history with polyps. To kill two birds with one stone — one anesthesiologist and one stay in the hospital — we scheduled both together. It turns out the ulcers had healed, but they found some benign polyps and removed them. Happy ending. I started running long distances when I was 11 years old. I was running until I turned 45, but all the running created bones spurs under my Achilles tendon, making it too painful to run.

Some days, I can barely walk because of the inflammation and pain.

“When you’re going through serious medical treatment, having the right help gives you peace of mind. No matter your fears, putting your trust in the right people can put you at ease.”

I tell you all this not to garner sympathy or give my health report. I share this because I was sitting in your seat. I was the consumer trying to determine if the professionals who were taking care of me knew what they were doing. Like you, I was the patient sitting in the hospital pre-op, wondering if it would turn out well and how much would I have to pay. I found I was not very happy with some of the people who took care of me, while others were very professional. I wanted to start the new year on the right foot by finally removing these bone spurs. But as I went through the process — from surgery to recovery — I was reminded of just how vulnerable you feel when you are in the hospital. Even with anesthesia, it’s normal to have anxiety going under a knife. We secretly wonder whether we’re going to wake up again. Then, we start thinking: Will my insurance cover all this? What if it doesn’t? What are the bills going to be? I hear about these feelings from my clients every day, and my recent health procedures put me in your shoes. How do you find comfort in those moments? When you’re going through severe medical treatment, having the right help gives you peace of mind. No matter your fears, putting your trust in the right people can

put you at ease. That’s why I take my role in protecting your finances so seriously — I want you to feel that peace of mind with me. I want my clients to feel at ease even in the most vulnerable moments of their health care journey, knowing that I can help them navigate Medicare. I’m still going through rehabilitation and recovering from my surgery. I’m lucky enough to have a wife who is a physical therapist. Although we both hope that I can get back to running someday, I’d be happy enough to be pain-free and able to do some aerobics. Though I know it’s essential to be patient, as I go through my recovery, I’m reminded of just how paramount excellent customer service is to my clients experiencing their own health journey.

Thanks for reading, friends. I’ll be catching up with you again soon.

Christopher J. Grimmond

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Medicare Insurance Made Easy

LAUGH MORE, AGE LESS Why Laughter Is Good for You

As we age, we’re told to wear sunscreen, eat more vegetables, take vitamins, and even walk more — all in hope that our internal clocks will slow down and we will age better. But something as simple as laughter could actually be one of the easiest ways to slow the ticking clock of aging. Scientists have long known that laughter can be therapeutic and help us live longer. It has been shown to reduce wear and tear on our bodies and improve our relationships. A Norwegian study found that those who prioritized humor were more likely to live past 70 than those who didn’t laugh often. At a biological level, laughter can reduce tension in your muscles and activate a powerful stress-relief response from your brain by releasing

dopamine. Just one chuckle may even improve your breathing and heart function! In fact, laughing can work wonders for the heart. One study showed that laughter therapy helped reduce the blood pressure and cholesterol levels of its participants. Their blood circulation improved, too. Studies have also found that regular laughter can help strengthen your immune system, and it has long-term benefits for those with respiratory conditions. In addition to your body, laughter is also good for your social life. (And we don’t mean that people will want to spend time with you if you have all the good jokes!) Throughout history, laughter has been an evolutionary sign of understanding. When there are language barriers, laughing together can create camaraderie and a tighter

bond between people of different cultures. The dopamine release that comes with laughter aids in stress relief and creates powerful memories that can improve your mood and strengthen friendships. Of course, laughter has its downfalls, too. Laughing at someone else’s expense is detrimental to their health and can harm your relationships. So, stick to light jokes and actively seek shows, cartoons, or people who make you laugh. You’ll feel good, and your body will be pretty happy, too.

DOES MEDICARE PAY FOR HOSPICE IN A SKILLED NURSING FACILITY?

Hi, friends — Chris here to tell you more about how hospice care works with Medicare.

of room and board and custodial nursing care would not be covered, and they were correct.

Hospice is a benefit under Medicare Part A for terminally ill patients, which means a medical professional has determined the person has a life expectancy of six months or less if the illness runs its ordinary course. Only care provided by (or under arrangements made by) a Medicare-certified hospice facility covers the unique end-of-life care. Hospice care may occur while a patient is in a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF), though some parts of that care may not be covered under Medicare. I have a personal connection to this. My mother had ovarian cancer and went into hospice care during the last few weeks of her life in 2012. The doctors said there was nothing more that could be done. Patients are admitted into hospice care only on the recommendation of a medical director in consultation with or input from the patient’s attending physician. The hospital staff initially told us that our mother needed to go to an SNF because they recognized she required more care than we could provide. They informed us that Medicare would provide and pay for hospice care in the SNF, but the cost

Nature took its course rapidly, and my mother’s health deteriorated in short order. She experienced a lot of pain. At various times, she was suffering so much that she needed to go to the hospital where doctors could administer intravenous medications to address and stabilize her quickly. As chance would have it, her pain killers’ intravenous nature triggered a reason for skilled nursing care coverage under Medicare, which kicked in after a qualifying hospital stay of three days. The administration of intravenous medications requires skilled nursing care. A home health nurse would not be adequate for the task. Also, she needed physical therapy to improve her strength after the reaction to the pain. Those were sufficient reasons for Medicare to cover her stay in the SNF and pay for her room and board. This experience with my mother helps me relate to many of my clients’ end-of-life circumstances. I understand how Medicare can ease some of the burdens of a traumatic event in your life (or your loved ones’ lives). If you have any questions, do not hesitate to give us a call.

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Wait, Popcorn Is a Superfood? MAKE THIS WHOLE GRAIN SNACK YOUR NEW GO-TO At Omaha Insurance Solutions, we’re health-conscious and always looking for healthy snacks. Did you know that in addition to being super easy and family-friendly, popcorn can also be one of the healthiest snacks? We tend to think of popcorn as unhealthy and for good reason: Movie theater popcorn, kettle corn, and microwave popcorn are loaded with butter, fake flavorings, sugar, corn syrup, and worse. A small popcorn at a Regal movie theater has 670 calories — the same as a Pizza Hut Personal Pepperoni Pan Pizza!

Testimonial

“Chris made Medicare very understandable for us.” –Peggy & Willie P.

Inspired by OhMyVeggies.com Tasty Thai Fried Rice

Microwave popcorn can be as much as 43% fat, but homemade popcorn —

especially if made without oil in an air popper — doesn’t have to be. You might think, Man, popping my own

popcorn sounds like a hassle whenever I want a snack. But here’s the thing: Popcorn is one of the few snacks that can be made in just a few minutes, and it is a 100% unprocessed whole grain.

We’re smack in the middle of broccoli season, and fried rice is the perfect dish to celebrate it. This savory, plant‑based recipe is packed with nutritious vegetables and delicious Thai flavors.

Ingredients

Almost every snack you buy at the store is processed one way or another, even prepackaged popped popcorn.

• 2 tbsp olive oil • 1 onion, chopped • 8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced • 4 cups broccoli, chopped to bite-size pieces • 4 cloves garlic, minced • 5 cups jasmine rice, cooked and cooled

• 1/2 cup peanuts, chopped • 2 tbsp soy sauce • Toppings of choice for serving (sliced

Popcorn is cheap and easy and has great health benefits when you make it yourself. It contains polyphenols, which are micronutrients that are packed with antioxidants and come with many potential health benefits. They aid in digestion and can help you manage your weight or certain conditions like diabetes, neurodegenerative disease, and cardiovascular disease. One study found that a serving of popcorn contains up to 300 milligrams of polyphenols, more than a serving of sweet corn (114 milligram) or a serving of fruit (160 milligrams). Also, by eating one serving of popcorn, you can get up to 70% of your recommended daily intake of whole grains. That’s a fact that’ll make any nutrition nut smile. Don’t ignore this easy, healthy snack in 2021. Freshly popped popcorn is a great replacement for potato chips and pork rinds. Dress your popcorn up with scallions, shredded cheese, and shredded chicken or make it into a dessert with a light dusting of cinnamon-sugar. It’ll be delicious for the whole family, while tasting so much better than what you can find in the store. We promise!

green onions, sliced cucumber, chopped peanuts, lime wedges, Sriracha, etc.)

Directions

1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2–3 minutes, until softened. 2. Add the mushrooms and broccoli. Cook for 5–7 minutes, until the broccoli is tender. 3. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. 4. Finally, add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, for 3–4 minutes. 5. Remove skillet from the heat and stir in the peanuts and soy sauce. 6. Serve garnished with your toppings.

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INSIDE This Issue

1

The Power of Peace of Mind

2

The Easiest Anti-Aging Tactic? Laughter

2

Does Medicare Pay for Hospice in a Skilled Nursing Facility?

3

Make This Whole Grain Snack Your New Go-To

3

Tasty Thai Fried Rice

4

A Match Made in Cornmeal Batter Heaven

Corn Dogs and Basketball

AN AMERICAN TRADITION It’s no coincidence that National Corn Dog Day is March 20 — the third Saturday of the month. This day is traditionally the first Saturday of March Madness, otherwise known as the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship. But wait. What do corn dogs and a basketball tournament have to do with one another?

foods on a stick. They battered and fried everything from cheese to bananas, but it was the battered sausages that really stood out, and the corn dog was born. By the 1940s, the convenient creation had popped up at state fairs and drive-in restaurants all over the country.

Turns out, National Corn Dog Day has everything to do with March Madness. The “holiday” began in March 1992 when two Corvallis, Oregon, high school students needed a snack while watching a basketball game. They got some corn dogs and called it good. But somehow, this simple snack and sport pairing turned into something huge. In fact, eating corn dogs while watching March Madness caught on like wildfire — and the teens didn’t even have Instagram to promote it! Though it’s not clear how, it spread across Oregon and eventually the rest of the country. It’s likely that people just heard about it from friends and family and thought it was a great idea.

In 2012, in honor of the original Corn Dog Day, the then-governor

of Oregon issued an official proclamation naming March 17 National Corn Dog Day in the state. Several companies jumped on the bandwagon as well, including Foster Farms (a maker of frozen corn dogs, among many other meat products) and the Pabst Brewing Company. While it’s not an “official” national day recognized by the U.S. Congress, it’s celebrated with thousands of events every March. And it’s grown beyond its U.S. roots. An article printed in The Oregonian in 2009 revealed that National Corn Dog Day parties have been celebrated on nearly every continent — including Antarctica!

The corn dog, like basketball, is an American creation. In the 1920s, the creators toyed around with the idea of fried

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